


With Tanner

by Onlymostydead



Series: Valentine's Day Dance 2019 [3]
Category: The Most Popular Girls in School
Genre: Acceptance, M/M, Pining, Polyamory, Valentine's Day, alcohol mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-18 02:51:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18111755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onlymostydead/pseuds/Onlymostydead
Summary: Jonathan Getslinhaumer doesn't have a crush on Tanner Christiansen; he's in love with him. But, with the Valentine's Day Dance coming up... Could he have a chance?





	With Tanner

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is late but I'm TIRED

Than did not have a crush on Tanner. 

Sure, he was beautiful, with his perfect abs, perfect body lower than his abs, epic torso, chiseled face, and gorgeous eyes... The way he did his hair was a practiced sort of effortless that stayed in even after football practice, a feat that few other people can claim. His laugh was like magic, the way the smile lingered on his face afterward. When he danced, swaying his gorgeous hips in time with the music...

Than swallowed. He was right. He really didn't have a crush on Tanner.

He was in love with him.

Than had been hesitant to admit that to himself, but it was probably true. He had heard somewhere, probably on some blog back when he was with Jenna Darabond, that the difference between a crush and love was that if he's still cute after a haircut, it's love. If that was true, he had fallen in love with Tanner so many times he had lost count of them.  
At any rate, no matter what it was defined as, most people didn't still have a crush on someone after they saw them wet their pants when they were black out drunk. Most people didn't help their wet, embarrassed crush clean up, and then let them sleep in their bed with them.

Okay, maybe the bed thing, but it really wasn't sexual at all; they didn't even cuddle. Tanner was drunk and Than was pretty sober and he had just wet his pants which, honestly? Is a massive mood kill. Some people are into that, sure, but only on the weird blogs Jenna used to be on.

He had to admit, though, lying in bed next to Tanner... He wished he could go to sleep like this every night. Watching the way his perfect hair got a little rumpled as he slept, seeing the fluttering of his perfect, curly eyelashes... It was like nothing else. Fireworks were going off in Than's head, his heart was beating like crazy... And he had a sinking feeling in his gut.  
This wasn't right. All the feelings he had. And it wasn't just because it was a guy; he had accepted that he was bisexual for a while now, actually... Just with a heavy preference for men. Heavy.

It wasn't right because he was sleeping with someone else's naked boyfriend, who he had undressed while he was drunk. Which sounded, really bad. But it was innocent, really... Even if Tristan barely believed it after it was all sorted out. After all, making him sleep in his own soiled clothes seemed a lot more cruel than stripping him out of them.

But now that whole fiasco was over. Tristan and Tanner were back together, solid as they ever were. Than hated that he hated seeing them together, he hated the jealousy burning deep down in his chest, he hated the way he felt every time he saw Tanner. 

Because he couldn't help the butterflies in his stomach, or the way he made his face heat up. Tanner made his mouth feel dry, all of the words got clogged in the back of his throat... It was like he scrambled his thoughts, his head spinning. Some football practices were spend just staring at him, imagining his body under that padding.

By the had to get over it. He had been crushing on Tanner for years now, even if he hadn't noticed it. Looking back though, everything felt obvious. That was why he became friends with the guys... Ish. Well, really he just tried to hang out with Tanner, and that didn't work for literally eight years. But now... He was part of the team. One of the guys.

And Tanner knew about his crush. They had never really talked about it, but... They didn't need to. It was obvious enough already.

But still, they were bro's. Tanner tried his best not to make it awkward, and... So did Than. Even if it hurt. 

Especially with Valentine's Day coming up...

Just seeing all of the couples going around and being all in love with each other made him feel sick. People who were in relationships already felt the great need to post about them online near constantly, and people who weren't either complained that they were single, or hooked up with someone for the holiday just to break up a week or so later.  
He thought about doing that, but... Every time he did something with a guy, he was Tanner to him. If it was like that for casual hook ups, then what would it be like to really kiss someone? To hold their hand? To smack their butt after football practice and have them slap it back? 

It wouldn't be fair to the guy, because he'd only be picturing Tanner. And he didn't want it to just be someone filling in for him, pretending to be him...

Than shook his head; back to reality. He was sitting in fourth hour right now, but the bell was about to ring in three, two, one...

The bell rang one second after his countdown, but it totally still counted. And now he was on his way to lunch.

***

"Oh! Who all is going to go to the dance?" Blaine sat down at the football team's lunch table, holding baby Brittnay in the front carrier. "We found a babysitter, so I'm gonna get to go with Saison!"

"I'm going. And, I mean, we all know who you're going with, Matthew." Tanner pointed to him with a french fry before popping it into his mouth. "And I'm going with Tristan."

Matthew smiled, nodding. "Actually... I'm going with both Trisha's."

Than clapped. "Way to go, Matthew. That's impressive - especially since Trisha two graduated last year. The after party will be wild for you, am I right?" He added an eyebrow wiggle for emphasis, giving a lopsided grin.

He shrugged. "I just like them a lot."

"Wow. Wait." Than froze. "This isn't just a threesome thing?"

"This is not just a threesome thing." Matthew confirmed, putting strong emphasis on 'not.' "I am genuinely enchanted by both of those lovely ladies."

"Yeah, polyamory. Jenna taught me about it." Justin nodded along. "Don't you remember that?"

Than didn't remember that at all. "Oh, yeah. I remember."

"So we're all cool?" Matthew picked at the edge of his napkin.

"Yeah, of course."

"And I am going with at least three Crunchwrap Supremes, as I have learned that the food at school dances is always both subpar and lacking in quantity." Deandra declared through a mouthful of chili fries. "What about you, Justin?"

Justin shrugged. "I think I'm going solo. No shame in that."

"No shame in that..." Than echoed under his breath, thinking that through. 

Yeah, all of his dreams these days seem to revolve around taking Tanner to the Valentine's Day Dance. He wanted nothing more than to walk in hand in hand, to smile at him, to slow dance and kiss on in the middle of the gymnasium floor, to take him home afterward. That image felt so perfect, but...

He met eyes with Tanner from across the table. There was a softness there, as if he was almost trying to apologize for something. 

Than smiled, leaning back in his seat, hands behind his head. "I'm gonna be doing the bachelor thing too. Who knows, might meet somebody else..."

Tanner smiled. "Yeah, who knows, Than. Tristan's inviting a few of his friends, too..."

"Oh, that's cool."

"Maybe you'll hit it off with one of them?"

And yeah, it hurt to think about trying to hit it off wth someone else while Tanner was right there, but... That was okay.

"Yeah. Who knows, right?"

***

Than was surprised to find, as he walked into the dance wearing just a suit jacket and tie on top, that he felt good. His friends were waving him over from across the gym, and...

It didn't matter that he wasn't here with Tanner as a couple. Just being here with his friends was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love?


End file.
